Chapter 6

"Big brother, I'm ready. Let's go to the dungeon."

In the morning, after waking up and eating breakfast, Haru hurriedly opened the closet to change clothes and started maintaining his weapons. In the Kizaki household, where there was no game console and only a low-spec computer with slow internet, Haru had become completely engrossed in dungeon exploration.

Once Haru finished maintaining his weapons, I put on the backpack and equipped my weapons, as I had already completed my preparations. It was only natural that something enjoyable, except for the days when I had to work, would become a habit in just 12 days.

It had been nine days since we finished exploring the second floor, making it exactly two weeks since our first dungeon exploration.

The dungeon, as expected, increased in difficulty as we progressed through the floors. We had just completed the fourth floor, and it was clear that our success in conquering two floors in five days was largely due to good luck.

To begin with, I had a part-time job, so I couldn't explore the dungeon every day. The monsters hadn't changed much, except that the goblins had started carrying sticks, and I had once encountered a fluffy, glowing rabbit on the third floor. When I defeated the rabbit, it felt like my level had increased by two, so it was probably a rare monster that provided experience points. However, it was unclear whether the concept of levels even applied.

Furthermore, we hadn't seen any dropped items. Typically, items would either be stripped from defeated monsters or left behind when they disappeared, but neither of these seemed to be the case. Even with the low drop rate, it was strange that we hadn't seen any items after killing over a hundred monsters.

If that was the case, the only thing we gained from the dungeon was the power we lost upon exiting. If so, the dungeon would be nothing but a menace to humans. It was difficult to see any practical value in it. However, I had heard that in the Tokyo dungeon, items did drop, so this dungeon might be an exception.

Regardless, the thrill and excitement of dungeon exploration had become our entertainment, and now we were heading to the fifth floor to explore it.

Conveniently, we had developed a sense of where the monsters were, either through experience or some unseen force. Although I had some experience with aikido, I had never experienced a sudden melee with an enemy, let alone one where our lives were on the line. So, it wasn't surprising that we had developed this ability.

If that was the case, perhaps soldiers who had experienced battle could do the same. I recalled a news report about a dungeon appearing in a conflict zone abroad, leading to a stalemate or even a ceasefire. As I was thinking about this, Haru called out to me.

"Huh, big brother, there are some around the corner."

"Three goblins, right? I'll leave it to you, Haru."

This sense, which we called detection, was also possible for Haru. However, Haru's detection range was larger, but he could only sense that something was there. My detection range was smaller, but I could clearly see the shape and number of enemies. This is why we could have such a conversation before seeing the monsters.

"Boom"

The goblins that appeared from the corner were immediately hit by a magic spell and died before they knew what was happening. The goblin in the lead, whose head was blown off, surprised the others, who charged at us. I stabbed one in the head with a hoe and cut the other's neck with a machete.

The enemies on the fourth floor were a bit stronger, but we still had room to spare. If we weren't confident in the current floor, we wouldn't attempt the next one. There were no save points or resurrection, so it was best to prioritize safety.

When we first descended to the third floor, it was quite challenging. The monsters had changed and become stronger when we went to the second floor, but on the third floor, even the same monsters were stronger. They didn't look different, but their presence felt enhanced, similar to how we felt when we killed monsters. At that time, we strongly believed that the concept of levels existed.

After that, we had no issues and reached the stairs leading to the fifth floor.

We carefully inspected our weapons before descending the stairs.

"Room?"

Haru muttered this as he looked down the stairs. The area below looked like a room, about the size of a classroom, with a height of about five meters.

At the back was a large metal door that reached the ceiling.

"It's a boss room, right?"

"Yeah."

The door looked exactly like the entrance to a boss room in an RPG.

"Big brother, should we go in?"

Haru tilted her head and asked. The journey to the fifth floor had been long, but we weren't tired, so we were ready for battle. We didn't need to replace our weapons, so we were in perfect condition. Given this, the decision was clear.

"Alright, let's go in. If it gets dangerous, we'll retreat. If it seems safe, we'll aim for the kill. I'll be the front-line fighter, and you'll be the rear guard. We'll adapt to the situation, prioritizing safety. Let's go."

"Okay."

I held a hoe in my hand and moved the machete to a position where I could easily draw it. Haru firmly held the crowbar with both hands.

I reached out to open the door, and the heavy door, which seemed to require considerable force, opened on its own.

We cautiously entered, and inside was a goblin that was clearly larger than the others. It was about two meters tall and held a large sword, which, though blunt, could crush bones with a single strike.

"Gyahhh!"

As it let out a chilling, unpleasant sound, a single word appeared in my mind.

"Hobgoblin"

The hobgoblin, despite its name suggesting weakness, was a formidable opponent, facing us with its sword. As the goblin took a step forward, signaling the start of the battle, I used a skill.

"Speed"

I used a speed-boosting skill on myself and Haru, then quickly approached the hobgoblin.

"Boom"

A ball of light flew from Haru's hand and exploded in front of the hobgoblin. I hid in the dust from the explosion and circled around to the hobgoblin's back.

"Boom"

Haru cast another spell, and I struck the hobgoblin from behind with the hoe.

"Ah!"

I barely dodged a backhand swing from the hobgoblin and used the handle to strike its face, creating some distance. I then swung the machete at the hobgoblin's eyes. The machete, which I rarely used, cut through the hobgoblin's eyes without losing its edge, depriving it of its sight.

With the hobgoblin blinded, it was ours for the taking. I kept my distance from its wildly swinging sword, and Haru, who had quietly approached from behind, struck with all her might. The hobgoblin staggered and fell to its knees, as if it had a concussion. I struck its neck with the hoe, and Haru continued to beat it with the crowbar. The scene was so gruesome that even adults would turn pale and run away.

The hobgoblin, being a boss, was tough and required multiple attacks. By the time it died and turned into mist, our clothes were covered in blood. We had seen blood before, but never this much. We looked at each other's blood-soaked clothes and grimaced.

The blood was a deep red. Perhaps because Haru and I had once helped butcher game, the act of killing the goblins didn't make us feel sick. On the contrary, the brutal beating we gave it was quite satisfying.

Just a moment ago, we had been in a high-adrenaline state, attacking with enthusiasm. Haru, who had been excited, now looked slightly pale. I probably had a similar expression. Either way, it was clear that we wouldn't be able to continue exploring today.

"Let's go back, big brother."

"Yeah, let's go back."

Feeling dejected, we slowly left the room, but we didn't let our guard down. However, our mental state was quite worn out. We didn't notice the two small metal plates that the hobgoblin had dropped.